Dance Class
by starfish001
Summary: Sheldon teaches Penny to dance and discovers some feelings he never knew he had. Just a bit of fun for my first attempt at fanfic. Reviews appreciated, but please be gentle!
1. Chapter 1

"I will teach you to dance if you wish, Penny."

Four pairs of eyes immediately landed on Sheldon, who calmly carried on eating his Thai food.

"Um, Sheldon? How…and when… did _you_ learn to dance?" Leonard had thought there could be very little his roommate could say that would surprise him anymore, but this admission had managed it. He tried to picture the lanky scientist twirling about the room with an actual human being in his arms, and couldn't do it. Surely he couldn't get that close to anyone without a level 4 biohazard suit to protect him?

"My mother made me learn as a child." Sheldon scowled slightly at the memory. "She insisted on making us attend the dances in the church hall. Obviously I was highly proficient at it, however Missy would regularly stand on my toes. In fact, I believe that was intentional. Certainly I instructed her as to the correct technique often enough, so there really is no other valid explanation".

The rest of the guys looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Then, as one, they turned to Penny expectantly. "So, Penny…are you brave enough to let the esteemed Dr Sheldon Cooper PhD teach you to dance?" asked Howard, wagging his eyebrows suggestively "or would you prefer to let me show you a few moves?" Penny considered the options for a nanosecond. She really didn't want to embarrass Jake at his company's formal dance next week, and the choice between the two men was a complete no-brainer. She looked at Sheldon.

"Ok, Moonpie. When do we start?"


	2. Chapter 2

Penny approached the guys' door the next night feeling strange. It was an usual mix of trepidation and…was that excitement? At the thought of dancing with Sheldon? Please. She shook her head to clear it. Although she had to admit to being a little curious about how this was going to go; she had never seen Sheldon touch _anyone_ without being immensely uncomfortable. Even the hug she got at Christmas had been the weirdest thing she had ever experienced, Sheldon was so obviously not used to physical contact.

She stopped at the door, wondering whether to knock. Usually she would just barge in and help herself, more to annoy Sheldon than for any other reason. Thinking about it, she did a lot of stuff deliberately to annoy him. Sitting in his seat, calling him 'Moonpie'...For the first time, she found herself questioning why she did it. Damnit, because it was _fun, _that's why_. Geez, get a grip girl_. She barged open the door. Sheldon was fiddling with something on his laptop. The sofa had been pushed back to create a space and the guys were sat on it, clearly hoping to enjoy the show. Raj had popcorn.

Penny put her hands on her hips. "Out. Now." This was going to be weird enough without an audience. They began protesting, but Sheldon had clearly had a similar thought and turned his best stare on them. Not willing to risk a collective strike, they slunk out. Leonard felt something shift in the pit of his stomach as he saw Penny smile at Sheldon, then gave himself a stern talking to. That ship had long since sailed, and besides, the idea of Penny and Sheldon was just…well. Completely ridiculous.

Sheldon stared at the others until the door slammed behind them. "Good evening, Penny". He noticed she had put on some heels, as he had suggested; it would make sense to learn to dance in the shoes she planned to wear on the night. He also noticed that she was wearing an attractive green dress that he had not seen before, and that brought out the colour of her eyes. Then he wondered why he had noticed that, and felt himself flush uncharacteristically.

Of course, he was aware that Penny was attractive. Despite his massive intelligence and analytical brain, he was still male and some part of his brain seemed determined to notice such things. He found the whole notion of sex fairly distasteful, and the idea of exchanging body fluids with someone was enough to bring him out in a cold sweat. However, occasionally his body betrayed him and he found himself reacting not with disgust, but with arousal. Howard had once brought over some pornographic playing cards and had left one on Sheldon's pillow. It had earned him two strikes – one for going in his bedroom and another for being generally _vile_ – but some part of him had obviously responded, going by the evidence he found in his pyjama bottoms the next morning. His reaction confused him; humiliation at being subject to such base desires, yet regret at being unable to remember the dream that had produced such a result. He had kept the playing card.

He knew the others were wondering how he would cope with being in such close proximity to someone else. He and Penny were, as they had previously established, 'friends'. Since then, Penny had occasionally taken certain liberties with his person; touching him on the arm in conversation, sitting with her leg pressed against his when playing Halo. Although alarmed at first, he now found himself tolerating – and sometimes even welcoming - these small contacts. Always a loner due to his eccentricities and his intelligence, the bullying he had experienced when he was younger had driven him further inside himself to the point where his emotional detachment became expressed outwardly as a fear of being close to anyone. Others had attributed it to his phobia of germs, and he had not corrected them. He _was_ scared of germs. It was an easy excuse to avoid intimacy. When he had offered to teach Penny to dance, he had not fully thought through the implications, however he knew how much she wanted to impress this Jake person and felt he could not go back on his offer. He thought back to the gift she had given him at Christmas that he cherished so much, and his resolve strengthened. He had two PhD's, for Heavens sake. He could teach a woman to dance.

Penny watched as Sheldon turned his attention back to the laptop. Was he blushing? The though was interrupted as Sheldon pressed a button and music filled the room. She didn't have a clue what it was, but it sounded right.

"Ok, so what do I do?"

Sheldon came over and stood in front of her. She was suddenly reminded how tall he was, and was glad she'd worn the heels. She looked up at him and felt that strange feeling again as he looked down at her with those big, dark eyes.

"Penny? Did you hear me?"

She started guiltily. "Um, sorry Sheldon…what did you say?"

Maintaining a small distance from her, Sheldon reached out and tentatively rested his hand on her side, his other hand finding hers and holding it. "Put your hand on my shoulder." She reached up, closing the distance between them slightly. She felt him tense for a fraction of a second, then regain himself. "This is a waltz. It is fairly basic…" She waited for him to add one of his usual derogatory comments regarding her intelligence, but it didn't come. Instead, he explained the dance moves to her.

"Shall we begin?"

"Ok, here goes…" Penny took a deep breath. They began to move, clumsily at first but improving quickly as Penny picked it up. She was surprised; Sheldon was good. _Very_ good. It was as if all his awkwardness around people vanished when he had the music and the movements to concentrate on. His grip on her relaxed and felt more natural, and if she hadn't know better she would have swore he was actually enjoying himself.

Sheldon _was_ enjoying himself. Somewhere along the way he had become very aware of the smell of Penny's hair; coconut – no doubt from one of the many gift baskets he had given her for Christmas. He was accustomed to her proximity and she was proving a pleasantly adept dancing partner. She hadn't stepped on his toes once.

They practiced for a while longer, until it became clear that Penny was actually on the verge of becoming more proficient than Sheldon. Wary of getting into a competition, Penny suggested a break before trying another dance. She grabbed the bag she had brought from her place and pulled out a bottle of rum.

"Shall we?" She raised an eyebrow inquiringly. Sheldon raised an eyebrow back. "I really don't think alcohol will improve our ability to dance".

Penny took a deep breath. "Well…I was hoping maybe you could teach me to tango next….?"

Sheldon blanched. "That's not a dance I ever practiced with Missy…." Penny snorted. "Although of course I did study it as part of my repertoire, I'm not sure I could accurately recreate it after so long…."

Penny poured two shots of the rum into glasses. "Don't worry sweetie. I'm sure you'll do fine." She handed him a glass, which he looked at apprehensively. The image of him pressed tight up against Penny's body suddenly appeared in his head. He downed the shot and, eyes watering, held out the glass for another.


	3. Chapter 3

Twenty minutes later, the alcohol had had the desired effect. Sheldon was feeling pleasantly drunk and had found some music they could tango to. Penny had consumed approximately twice the amount of rum he had, and was sat on the sofa giggling over something unknown.

She got up, wobbling slightly in her heels and feeling her fancy dress swish around her legs (thinking _why did I suddenly decided to wear this tonight?_) and stood in front of him again. At some point it had gotten dark, and the room was lit by the soft glow from the laptop. Sheldon looked down at her and for once his mind went blank; she wasn't just 'attractive', she was _beautiful_. This time, there was no hesitation on Sheldon's part. He put one long arm around her back and pulled her close to him, pressing her against his torso. She wrapped her free arm around him and he felt her briefly stroke his back. He could smell her hair and it was as intoxicating as the rum. The sober part of his mind was wondering what the hell he was doing and where it was going to lead. The drunk part apparently had the casting vote and didn't care. He felt Penny sigh and lean into him. Something stirred inside him, and then they were dancing.

Penny was a natural. She kept herself held against him as he led her deftly across the room. He moved quickly and lightly, spinning her and taking delight in her gasps. He felt her hand grab his t-shirt, then slide down his back until she could slip underneath it and feel his skin. He looked down to find her staring up at him, her pupils wide in the dim light, gently biting her lip as she concentrated on the movement. He met her stare and they continued dancing. Then the music was coming to an end and in a moment of what he later thought of as complete drunken madness, Sheldon took her completely in his arms and dipped her backwards.

Before she knew what was happening, Penny was suspended horizontally above the floor. She felt the muscles in Sheldon's arms flex as he held her there steadily. A thrill shot through her as she felt his strength, and without even thinking about it she lifted her head. Her lips found his, and she felt him tense in shock before relaxing and giving in to the sensation.

Sheldon had never been kissed before, and was completely unprepared for the feelings that shot through him. His stomach churned and his head felt light, and a _heat_ ran through his body. Penny's mouth was soft but she kissed him with a passion and intensity that left him breathless. Then his instincts kicked in and he was kissing her back hungrily as he pulled her upright, burying his hands in her hair and cupping the side of her face. She pulled him close and ground her hips against him, feeling him stir against her.

A million miles away she heard her phone start to ring. She ignored it and continued her exploration of Sheldon's mouth, but something tugged at her memory. That ring tone. _Jake_. The person she was doing all this for in the first place.

"Shit." Penny pulled away suddenly, feelings of guilt overwhelming her. She and Jake had been together a month now; hardly a lifetime but her longest relationship for a few years now, and she cared for him a lot. She knew she had a bit of a reputation, but whatever else she was, she wasn't a cheat. Until now.

"I'm…I'm sorry Sheldon…" she babbled, backing away. "I can't do this….I'm sorry." Grabbing her phone, she dashed out of the apartment.

Whilst Raj and Howard had called it a night after seeing the new Star Trek film for the fourth time, Leonard had stayed on for the late feature. He wanted to be sure that Penny and Sheldon were finished whatever the hell they were doing before he went home. So he crept in after midnight, expecting to find the apartment immaculate and Sheldon in bed. Instead, Sheldon was sprawled unconscious on the sofa, his long fingers curled around an empty bottle of rum.

This probably wasn't a good sign, but Leonard wasn't stupid enough to wake a sleeping and likely still drunk Sheldon. So he threw a blanket over him and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Danger! Dan….urghhh" Sheldon woke with a start and immediately wished he hadn't. His head thrummed with pain and every movement made his brain bounce off the walls of his skull. He couldn't even muster an argument as to why that was a highly unlikely occurrence for someone sat on a sofa. However much it hurt though, it was nothing compared to the pain of the humiliation he felt when he remembered the incidents of the night before. Groaning, he pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes. He should have trusted his instincts and stayed away from the possibility of intimacy. The whole thing was just too painful. Only now, he had let his guard down and was feeling things he had never allowed himself to feel before. _Penny_. What had began as curiosity about an attractive woman had turned into…well, a _crush_. Even remembering how awfully last night had ended, he still felt his stomach lurch at the thought of her, and what they had done. How pathetic. He must put a stop to this immediately; Penny was with Jake and was clearly not interested in him. Continuing to…_lust_…over her was an inefficient use of his time. Resolved to put Penny out of his mind, Sheldon pulled the blanket off his head to find Leonard sat staring at him. "Care to fill me in?"

Sheldon gave him the most pointed stare he could muster. "No."

"Thank God for that. I'm going to work. There's an herbal tea brewing on the side."

Sheldon softened his stare. "Thank you". Leonard scrutinised him for another moment, then shook his head slightly and left. Whatever was going on, he was probably better off not knowing; Sheldon and Penny's disagreements were the stuff of legends.

…

Penny woke feeling much the same as Sheldon, only with the small mercy that she had at least made it to her bed before she collapsed in tears. Could you cry so much you got dehydrated? Sheldon would know…

Crap. What had she done? She felt terrible; terrible for cheating on Jake, of course, but what else? Of course…terrible for leading Sheldon on, for messing him about when she knew how difficult all this stuff was for him. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling right now; she knew he had feelings, buried under that hard science geek exterior, but she wasn't sure they were quite like anyone else's. If she had to guess, she would say angry, probably. She knew he could feel that. Embarrassed? Maybe.

Crap.

Ok, time for some perspective. It was just a kiss. No big deal.

She tried to ignore the little voice at the back of her head that was calling her a liar.

That night was Halo night. Penny debated for several hours before deciding to bite the bullet and face her fears. It was like ripping off a band aid; the sooner she got the chance to apologise to Sheldon the sooner they could put this behind them. She marched over to the guy's apartment and let herself in. "Hi guys!" There was an enthusiastic chorus of "hi Penny's" from Leonard, Howard and Raj. She quickly glanced at Sheldon, who blanched slightly and muttered "good evening, Penny". He couldn't meet her eyes. She was glad; she realised she couldn't have met his either. Damn.

The night progressed as usual for Howard and Raj, who were engrossed in Halo when they weren't sneaking glances at Penny's legs. Leonard was clearly aware of the tension but was doing a sterling job of ignoring it. Finally she found herself alone on the couch with Sheldon. She shuffled a bit closer to him.

"Hey, about last night…I'm really sorry Sheldon. I was drunk and it shouldn't have happened. Can we just…forget about it?" Penny whispered as fast as she could, eyeing the others messing about in the kitchen. Sheldon finally turned and looked at her. The eye contact startled her; suddenly she was back in the moment just before she kissed him the night before. Immediately she regretted what she had said. Not only had it sounded brutal, but she suddenly realised she didn't _want_ to forget about it. She thought desperately for something to say to make it better, but by then the others were on their way back over and Sheldon was speaking.

"Of course, Penny. That seems to be the most sensible option, given your current romantic association with Jake." It was the answer she supposed she had hoped for, but it made her heart sink to the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Three days later, and Penny and Sheldon had been doing a completely different kind of dance. Penny had largely kept to her own apartment, only joining the guys when her absence would be obvious. When they were together they put on an excellent act of near normality. Even Leonard was almost convinced. Occasionally however, their eyes would meet…and it made her melt. She ran through a list in her head of all the reasons her and Sheldon would never work, and threw herself into seeing Jake.

Sheldon, as ever, threw himself into his work. He had had a lifetime of suppressing his feelings and, although these ones were proving particularly troublesome to ignore, he was determined to persevere. Penny had made herself very clear on the matter and he respected her wishes. Even if, as he was beginning to realise, they weren't his own.

…

The night of the dance came about. Penny had consigned _that_ dress to the back of her wardrobe and instead bought a new one with no uncomfortable associations. When Jake turned up in his tux she took his arm and tried not to look at the apartment opposite as they left, ignoring the ache that went through her as she did.

The meal was exquisite and she made small talk with Jake's colleagues, playing the role of the doting girlfriend with practised ease. She watched him when he wasn't looking, searching for a sign that she was doing the right thing. He was handsome, had a good job, and he wasn't _dumb_…but it wasn't enough. She finally allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, where it hit her. The man in her arms wasn't the one she wanted. She didn't understand quite how it had happened, but all she could see when she shut her eyes was Sheldon…Sheldon rattling off some ridiculously complicated bit of theory that he knew she would never understand, but telling her anyway. Sheldon telling her she was in his spot and demanding she move. Sheldon asking her to sing 'Soft Kitty' when he was homesick. Sheldon kissing her.

She suddenly stopped dancing, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jake on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Jake. I can't do this. I'm sorry." He looked shocked, but she could already see a host of admirers ready and willing to comfort him as she ran from the room.

…

Sheldon was staring at his board. Leonard was working nights and he was alone in the apartment. He was aware that tonight was Penny's big night with Jake. This wasn't something he should be aware of. Her dates were not usually something he kept track of, unless they fell at particular times of her menstrual cycle, in which case he ensured that they always had a box of tissues and an emergency stash of chocolate available for the inevitable emotional aftermath. Tonight, however, he could think of nothing else. He stared at the most important work being done in theoretical physics and thought of Penny in another man's arms.

His reverie was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Continuing to stare hopelessly at the board he shouted a listless "come in".

"Am I interrupting?" Penny's voice made his stomach lurch. He whirled around. "Penny? What are you doing here?" He took in her outfit and tear stained eyes. "Is there a problem?"

Penny laughed. "No, Sheldon. No problem." and with that she was walking up to him, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely. His arms came around her automatically, encompassing her and reaching up to bury his hand in her hair and cup the back of her head. His head was empty of everything but her; her scent, her taste, the feel of her against him. She pulled them backwards until she was resting against the kitchen counter and he took the hint, pressing her up against it with his body. Long buried instincts took over. Dropping his hand from her head he rested it delicately on her hip, then ever so slowly explored her, moving over her stomach until he was gently cupping her breast. She moaned into his mouth and her hands frantically scrabbled under his T shirts until they found flesh. She could feel him hard against her and ground her hips into him encouragingly. It was his turn to moan as new sensations flooded his body. Gasping for breath, he pulled back. "Penny…I…."

"Shh, sweetie. Come on." She took his hand and led him to his bedroom. "Do you have anything we can use?"

Sheldon looked blank for a minute, and the sight was so unusual that Penny had to bite back a giggle. He caught on and flushed even more. "Of course….Howard insists on keeping us all stocked up with such things." He frowned slightly. "He's somewhat of an optimist." He pulled a condom out of the drawer by his bed and looked at it, his eyebrow raised. "Although I must say I've never had cause to use one as yet." At this, Penny smiled.

"Well let's see what we can do about that…" she said, pulling him down on top of her. Sheldon turned out to be a quick study. He slid the strap of her dress off one shoulder and kissed his way down her neck, before uncovering her breast and continuing his kisses. When she couldn't stand it any more she reached down and in one movement pulled off his T shirts. Sheldon looked a little shy to be so exposed, so she rolled him off her then knelt on the bed and pulled off her dress. Sheldon's expression glazed over slightly as he lay staring at her body, so she took the opportunity to undo his pants and pull them off. She was glad to see he had got rid of the white underpants (even if they were replaced with Flash boxer shorts) and _very_ glad to see that everything was in proportion, as it were. She glanced up. Sheldon's instincts had obviously deserted him, as he laid there with a terrified look on his face. She climbed on top of him and started kissing him again. Back on familiar territory Sheldon relaxed, and his hands restarted their exploration. Soon they were grinding against each other, small gasps and moans escaping from them both. Penny couldn't stand it anymore. She quickly dispatched of the rest of their underwear and reached for the condom. Tearing it open, she noticed Sheldon watching with interest as she rolled it onto him.

"Oh…oh!" She realised that this was probably going to be over fairly quickly. She straddled him and then, looking into his eyes, gently lowered herself onto him. She felt him fill her completely and gasped. Neither of them moved as they got used to the sensation, then Penny bent down and started kissing him again. Sheldon unfroze, and put his hands on her hips, guiding her slowly as she started to rock on top of him. In a flash he suddenly understood why people spent such a huge amount of time seeking out this sensation. It was exquisite. He desperately tried to distract himself to postpone the inevitable, but then Penny leaned down and whispered in his ear that she was about to come and he gave up on any pretence of being able to restrain himself. He held her firmly and bucked into her as he felt the sensation build. He heard Penny give a small cry and felt her contract around him, gripping him tightly and making him explode inside her. An immense feeling of release washed over him, and with it there were strange emotions. He pulled Penny down and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her neck and stroking her hair. He felt dampness on his shoulder and gently pushed her up to look at her face. She was crying quietly…but when she looked at him she gave him a huge grin. Some more instincts kicked in, and he pulled her back into his arms.

…

Leonard was surprised when he got in the next morning and found Penny in their apartment making breakfast. He should have been even more surprised when she asked him how he felt about the idea of her and Sheldon being 'an item'. But suddenly a lot of stuff slotted into place, and he found that actually, he was pretty ok with it. He made her promise to spare him the details and not involve him in their arguments. Penny gave him a huge grin, swept him into a bear hug and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Then she disappeared into Sheldon's bedroom looking happier than he had seen her in a long time.

Yeah, it was ok with him.


End file.
